Pete's Walks- Cowleaze Wood, Studdridge Farm, Christmas Common (page 5 of 5)
The bridleway descended steadily down the hillside. After a while I had a view over to Pyrton Hill to my right where (as often before) I spotted some Fallow deer. There was then a nice view ahead towards the Oxfordshire Plain, though the view wasn't at its best because of the grey conditions.. At the bottom of the slope I continued straight on along a surfaced drive past the entrance to Pyrton Hill House and past a timber merchants. Two or three hundred yards down the drive I turned right onto a footpath running along the foot of Pyrton Hill.
Pyrton Hill
The bridleway that descends near Pyrton Hill
The drive from Pyrton Hill House
The start of the path along the foot of Pyrton Hill
After going through some bushes and very briefly uphill, the path became a grassy track as it crossed the foot of Pyrton Hill. Eventually the footpath went through a gate and very soon forked slightly left from a track to continued along the edge of Shirburn Wood (beware of wire fencing along the ground here). The wood sloped up to my right, with fields on my left. The path fairly soon turned left and then right, staying just inside the edge of the wood, all the while drawing nearer to Shirburn Hill.
The path along the foot of Pyrton Hill
The path along the foot of Pyrton Hill
The path continuing along the edge of Shirburn Wood
The path continuing along the edge of Shirburn Wood
The path continuing along the edge of Shirburn Wood
The path continuing along the edge of Shirburn Wood, heading towards Shirburn Hill
The path continuing along the edge of Shirburn Wood, heading towards Shirburn Hill
Eventually the path went through a gate (I spotted two or three more Fallow Deer here) and then started a long but not too steep climb up the southern side of Shirburn Hill. There were lots of mole-hills near the start of this uphill section (as there usually are). I am very unfit, and stopped four times to take photos and get my breath back. The best views on this route are here, looking back out over the Oxfordshire Plain, but once again today they were restricted by the grey conditions. Towards the top of the slope, the path passed through a narrow section of Shirburn Wood. It then went over a stile and crossed a flat and empty pasture, heading to the corner ahead and to the left. I then just had to cross a road and go a few yards left to return to my car.
Looking ahead to the path up Shirburn Hill
The path up Shirburn Hill
The path up Shirburn Hill
Looking back from the path up Shirburn Hill
The path up Shirburn Hill, passing through a narrow section of Shirburn Wood
This is a really good route and I enjoyed it once again, despite the grey conditions (the forecast was for sunny intervals, but the sun only appeared once and for no more than 10 seconds!). It's fairly up and down with five hills to go up, though none of them are too steep. The long climb up Shirburn Hill at the end can be a bit of a slog, but well worth it for the views back over Oxfordshire.